Africa-Press – Uganda. At least six people, including five from one family, perished in a Thursday night road accident in Pakwach District as they reportedly waved at a family visitor they had escorted to board a taxi.
According to police, an ill-fated Drone taxi UBG-674G from Zombo District headed for Kampala with 11 passengers rammed onto the family members by the roadside on the Nebbi-Pakwach Highway at about 9:30pm.
“Majority of those killed in the fatal accident were children aged 7, 10, 12 and 11. Four people died on the spot while two died at Pakwach health center IV in Pakwach district as 10 were injured,” Pakwach District Police Commander (DPC) Mr Samuel Lubega told this publication.
Mr Lubega identified one of the deceased as Ms Gertrude Giramia, a six-month pregnant woman who was traveling in the taxi destined for Kampala from Zombo District.
The accident attributed to reckless driving and over-speeding occurred about 2 kilometers from Pakwach Town Council at Panyimur Road junction in Juputur Clan.
“The taxi driver Mr Godfrey Kiseka is under police custody and will be charged for causing the death of six innocent people,” Mr Lubega informed.
A medic at Pakwach health center IV said some of the critically injured people are duly receiving treatment.
“The bodies of the deceased are still in the mortuary awaiting postmortem such that they are handed over to the relatives,” Dr John Bosco Oryema noted.
He further asked that Pakwach Health center be elevated to hospital status in order to manage some of the highway accident risks within its proximity.
“The health center doesn’t have enough facilities to handle accident emergency calls since the facility has very little supplies from the government,” he observed.
The Pakwach District Chairperson Mr Steen Omito described the Thursday night incident as “the most satanic accident which killed young energetic citizens of Uganda whose lives were needed to spur development.”
Mr Omito called on the government to take the issue of reckless driving and over speeding as a serious offense to reduce on the accident rate.
“Nebbi -Pakwach Highway has become an accident hot spot due to potholes. The road needs immediate attention since many lives are being claimed due to the poor nature of the road,” he added.
Road accidents claim hundreds of Ugandan lives annually, according to police reports.
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